Mon Sep 02 2013 18:28No Good, Not-So-Bad Day:
Today was kind of awful in a weird way. Sienna woke up at 2:45 am, and then everyone was awake again before 7. The kids played great in their room. Sienna was ok at first.

But I have been in an inexplicable bad mood all day. Sienna has been insanely grumpy. Either she was as affected as I by that early morning wake up call, or she's getting more teeth. She's been screaming and acting crazy. And she wouldn't nap. I finally got her down for a good one after 3.

The kids haven't been especially naughty. Their noise has been bothering me and Dalton broke the baby gate I spent an hour installing yesterday. I tried taking a nap or at least getting some rest. I tried thinking happy thoughts, singing songs, counting my blessings. Meh.

I actually got a ton done today. Rachel is coming tonight. I did some cleaning and three loads of laundry. Sorted out all the craft stuff for starting preschool with Dalton. I even finally finished taking pictures of Maggie's school work I wanted to remember (and recycle). It sure felt good to get that crossed off my list.

We had take out for dinner, John took Sienna for a walk and the kids and I are at the park. Maybe we just needed to get outside after a day of cleaning and cooped-up. The fresh air and prospect of seeing my sister soon, and of bedtime, is making me feel better finally.

Mon Sep 09 2013 21:05Pack Rat:
John had to go to LA a few weeks ago, and since the kids are obsessed with hotels we went up and stayed the night with him. Dalton packed for himself:
4 shirts
3 shorts
1 pair of pajamas
4 pairs of underwear
2 pairs of socks
6 stuffed animals
a blanket
a pillow
14 cars

More Dalton cuteness:

Dalton: Can I play on the macuter after you're done?
Me: Macuter?
Maggie: I forgot how to say it. Pacuter?
Dalton: Zoocuter!!

At Costco:
Oooh, I want that for my lunch at school!
Me: That's Jell-o. You guys don't like Jell-o.
I like Jell-o.
Me: You like Jell-o? Everytime I make Jell-o, nobody eats it.
Yeah, but you can play dinosaurs in it.

Earlier this week, a friend lost her husband in a car accident. I can't imagine what she has gone through this week. I haven't been able to put my sadness and helplessness into words. When something like this happens, you want to help, but often don't know how. I ended up volunteering in the nursery for her daughters and dozens of nieces and nephews during the funeral.

I took one crying child after another and rocked him to sleep, snuggling him to a moment's peace. And then I went to get my own children, 4 hours later and much thanks to the friend they were with.

This is what I can do. There are no words for such inexplicable loss. There is no use for "let me know if I can do anything." But there is a place for a mother's arms around another's child, leaving parents to mourn their brother, their husband, their friend. This I can do. I rocked some babies to sleep today. Beginning and ending with my own and filled with love in between.

Thu Sep 26 2013 20:59Orbiting Granillas:
Maggie had me laughing in the car today. She asked me why there were 52 weeks in a year, so we got on a conversation about the earth rotating and orbiting the sun. Then she said, "Do the planets have lines to follow around the sun, or do they just have to remember the way?"

We had dinner at Rubio's and on the way out, she noticed a ZPizza and asked, "Is that Zuppa's?" I told her it wasn't and that Zuppa's was only in Utah. A few minutes later she asked if you could make your own country. "Not a country, but a place with all the things. If you can, I'm going to make one and mine will have Zuppa's." Right on.

Then, we were playing our new favorite game of "I'm thinking of a...." I was thinking of an animal and she guess "granilla." Or a gorilla. Whichever.

Thu Sep 26 2013 21:07Bouncy Baby:
Yesterday Dalton got lost at school. I said, "come here Dalton" when he was playing at the playground and he headed toward the gate when I was headed to Maggie's classroom in the opposite direction. As soon as I noticed he wasn't at the playground, I went to the gate and saw him halfway down the block to the car - with a throng of people in between. I started running to try to catch up to him, but he just kept walking! Finally, a couple of moms we know from K last year noticed he was alone and crying and stopped him from crossing the driveway. Of course, we practiced "stickedy-stuck feet" and saying "Where's my mommy?" which he is very good about doing at Disneyland and Target, but apparently didn't occur to him when he thought he knew where he was going.

Anyway, the point of this blog was about me running to catch up to him. Maggie was very impressed that I could run faster than she! "And wearing flip flops," I said. "And carrying Nenna," she added. Yes, carrying Nenna. She was LAUGHING the whole time! She laughed so loudly, I thought she was crying. She LOVES being bounced. If I bounce her a bit and then stop, she will start rocking herself to get me to keep it up.